The Oddities of the Independent Party

Last Tuesday in the Echo, there was an article on the current state of the Sea Wall at Barge Pier Road. Over the Christmas period, there was damage to a couple of sections which were reported by my eagle eyed Shoeburyness ward colleague Cllr Roger Hadley.

Readers of this blog may be unaware that as part of the planning permission given for the Garrison development over a decade ago, a section 106 agreement was put in place to ensure that the developers brought the sea defences up to a required standard before the development has been completed. Upon completion, the sea defences would then be handed over to Southend council to be maintained.

Quoted in the article was Shoeburyness Independent Party councillor Mike Assenheim. I am in complete agreement with Mike in that the Sea Wall at Barge Pier Road needs to be brought up to the required standard before the sea defences they are handed over to the council and have made my feelings known to officers on the same lines.

In the same paper, 5 pages along, was a readers letter from Thorpe Bay resident and Shoeburyness ward Independent Party candidate Nick Ward.

Does Nick not talk to his fellow ward party colleagues? This type of campaigning is typical of the Independent Party in Southend. Simply, Nick would rather put lives, homes and livelihoods in West Shoebury at risk but spending council funds on sections of the sea wall that Southend Council as yet do not have responsibility for. It would also appear that Nick is in that typical SKIPP/Friends of Shoebury Common/Independent Party/UKIP do nothing camp at Shoebury Common.

It never ceases to amase me that Independent Party candidates believe that they can continue to say what they like to appease the passing bandwagon without being exposed.